The War Within
by Anthonius
Summary: An FFVI Alternate Universe. Well, semi-alternate, anyway. Please review, or else. (Else what? Umm. . . I'll get back to you on that.) Anyway, it's a what if- what if Terra was a true Imperial - and the imperial Heir, to boot? =)
1. Prologue: Once Upon a Winter's Day

****

The Second War of the Magi

A Final Fantasy 6 Alternate Universe Fic: By Eric S. Trendell

Author's Note: First off, Aurora is Terra. I'm going to use both at various points in the game. Just realize- if Aurora says she's Terra, or vice-versa – she is. =)

Secondly, I know I'm departing from the story in several points. A great deal stays true to the game- but enough is changed to call it an alternate Universe fic. 

****

Prologue: Once upon a winter's day

Long ago, the War of the Magi reduced the world to a scorched wasteland, as Espers fought humans for control of the world. Eventually, the Espers sealed themselves away to prevent their own extinction, but it was too late, and all human civilization had been destroyed. Humanity entered another Dark Age. 

One thousand years have passed since the end of the War of the Magi. Iron, gunpowder, and steam engines have been invented once again, and technology has become the predominant force in the world order. However, there are those who would conquer the world by reviving the dread destructive force known as magic. 

Can it be that those in power are on the verge of repeating a senseless and deadly mistake?

Seconday, of Firstmonth, 293 AV

4:52:02 PM

2 km south of Narshe

The winter wind whipped across the frozen cliffs overlooking Narshe. From here, the mines that had made it famous were clearly visible, even to the unaided eye. The ground shook for a second, then stood still, as three armored war machines approached, the starburst logo of the Empire of Vector emblazoned upon the side. The man in the first robot wore gold oak leaves on his shoulders- the man in the second wore silver oak leaves. The woman in the third wore silver eagles. 

"Well, there's the town," said Lt. Col. Vicks. " It's hard to believe an Esper's been found here, almost a thousand years after the end of the War of the Magi . . . " 

"Yeah . . ." Wedge replied. "Do you think it's still alive? 

"Probably- given the urgency of our orders."

"Vicks? I don't know- somehow, I think this is wrong. We shouldn't follow these orders. We all know Kefka's insane. We should talk to General Leo about this - he'd take care of Kefka! By the Goddesses, Narshe's a neutral city! We can't just invade like this, even to capture an Esper! You know as well as I do that General Leo would never approve of this . . ." pleaded Wedge. Somehow, though, he knew what Vicks would say. 

"You know as well as I do, Wedge, that it's not our place to question orders. If we disobeyed, Kefka would just send out other troops, and have us court-martialed. Even General Leo couldn't help us- Kefka's got the ear of the emperor . . ." 

"Yeah, well . . . What do you think, Terra?" asked Wedge, desperate now. "The Emperor would listen to you, wouldn't he?"

There was no response from Terra. She didn't even acknowledge that they had talked to her. Vicks sighed- he hadn't been looking forward to this. Truth be told, learning of it infuriated him- but a soldier's place was to follow orders, and he was a soldier. 

"Wedge . . . There's something I've got to tell you. I needn't remind you that it's confidential."

"What is it?"

"Terra's . . . well, Kefka found proof that she told General Leo that Kefka planned to poison the people of Doma. Kefka was furious, and demanded that the Emperor place her under his personal command. The Emperor agreed." Wedge gasped, too shocked to reply, and Vicks continued, "Kefka used a device he calls a "slave crown" to prevent her from using her will . . . She'll obey orders, but the Colonel's gone. I've heard that the Slave Crown even erases parts of the victim's memory . . . I'm afraid that, to all intents and purposes, Terra's dead." 

Vicks shook his head shortly, as if to clear it, then straightened. "We'll approach from the east. Let's move out!" 


	2. While the North Wind Blows

Chapter 1: While the North Wind blows

The three machines strode through the snowy fields towards Narshe. Wedge and Vicks were exhausted, which wasn't unnatural after several hours in Magitek armor. After all, it was less roomy and hotter than a tank. Terra, now- she was a different story. No matter what happened, she never sweated. Her sea-green hair never moved a centimeter- it always stayed exactly in place, seeming almost to glow . . . Several people even swore that she didn't bleed when she got injured- but of course, that had to be pure fantasy. Didn't it? 

As the three arrived at the town of Narshe, Terra took the lead. Wedge shuddered- he wasn't sure what had happened – he hadn't heard Vicks say anything to her about that. Was that just her experience with Magitek armor taking over – or, somewhere deep inside, on an almost instinctive level, would she rather die than be controlled? They walked through the gates, seeing the town bolted up tighter than a drum. Apparently, Narshe's security was better than Vicks had expected, to find out they were coming. 

Unfortunately for Narshe, the majority of their armed forces were off on training exercises, and the Magitek-armored soldiers cut through the recruits that remained at the gates like a hot knife through butter. 

Resistance didn't remain that meager, however. As the three passed by the smithy, several more battle-hardened guards jumped to the attack. 

The first shouted, "Narshe's freedom depends on us!", and attacked Vicks, hoping to keep him out of the way, while the second and third focused their attacks on Terra. Terra's training took over, and she deftly maneuvered the machine out of their way, releasing a blast of nerve gas at the same time. The guards didn't stand a chance. Vicks had more trouble. The guard's sword sliced into his armor, cutting it off at the knees. Wedge, seeing what was happening, released a beam of electricity into the air, hitting the guard, and frying him instantaneously. Vicks directed his armor to heal itself, and so it did, wizardry emanating from the torso, picking it up, and repairing the damage to the knee joints. He moved the machine back and forth for a second.

"Good as new. Let's go into the mines- intelligence tells us that the Esper's there." Vicks radioed, and Wedge acknowledged. The three machines moved off into the night, leaving behind them the corpses of those who dared resist the Empire. 

* * *

The three approached the rear of the town; one mine shaft apparently more utilized than the others. "According to our sources, the Esper was found in a new mine shaft. Maybe it's this one . . . " Wedge mused. As the three entered the mine shaft, Vicks turned on his suit's spotlight. _Damn, _he thought _. . . It's dark in here. Let's just get the Esper and get out before my suit's drained. _

Advancing through the mines, they came upon a wooden portcullis, blocking their path. Checking his sensors, Vicks was pleasantly surprised to find the Esper was in front of them- along with a monster. It seemed to be some sort of a shelled creature, like a large snail- an extremely large snail, at least ten feet tall, blocking the tunnel. 

"I'll handle this," Wedge laughed, and keyed in a blast of electricity. He certainly wasn't expecting the bolt of lightning that the creature released from it's shell, striking his suit and forcing it to shut down for emergency repairs. "Shit! Looks like I'm out of it, Vicks! Sorry I can't help!" 

The creature proved to be more vulnerable to fire than lightning, and was soon burned to the ground. Only blackened ashes remained where the formidable beast once stood. 

In the back of Terra's mind, a presence stirred. _What. . . what's going on? Where am I?_ Memory returned slowly, and she became aware that she was unable to control her own actions – a puppet in her own body. Raging, her consciousness slammed against the walls of her mind, but it did no good – she remained trapped, helpless to do anything. She watched, and waited, for her chance to escape. 

* * *

As they approached the Esper, Vicks stopped for a moment to gawk, before nullifying its powers. After all, he had never seen an Esper before. "So . . ." he said to himself, "This is the frozen Esper." 

Terra began to walk forward slowly, one foot in front of the other, until she stood not ten feet away from the Esper. It looked . . . different . . . somehow. It began to glow, pulsing with a blue light, as its power manifested itself. 

Wedge began to panic. "Colonel? Do you know something we don't? Aurora? Vicks?" His panicked cries soon turned to screams of agony, as the Esper's light caused him to vanish. Vicks, too, screamed and disappeared. 

Terra stood there, dumbfounded, as the blue light began to surround her, forming a cocoon. There was an explosion – then there was silence. 

* * *

Awakening to the sounds of birds, Wedge blinked. He could hardly believe it- he was alive. Or, he corrected, turning to look at Vicks, they were alive. Vicks blinked, then sat bolt upright. "Where . . . where are we? Where's our armor? What's happened?" Vicks asked sharply. 

Wedge laughed, and said, "It doesn't really matter. Here, the Empire is no more than a dream. We're free, Vicks. We're free. Now, the Empire can never force us to go against conscience again." Sitting up, Wedge looked around at his surroundings with a new interest. The empire was no more than a distant memory- and he wished all the happiness in the world to the Esper who had transported them there.

* * *

Re-integration of mind and body seemed exquisitely painful – the pain of a sliced finger, of a burned hand, of a migraine headache, and of surgery without anesthesia all rolled into one. Opening her eyes was almost impossible. She was climbing out of a pit- but some asshole had greased the walls. Time and time again, she climbed to the edge, only to fall back. At last, she reached the edge- and her eyes slid open.

She instantly regretted it. Pain shot through her, and she groaned, eliciting a response from the old man sitting near her bedside. Struggling to come up with a reading on the situation, she drew a blank. She didn't know the room. She didn't know the old man, and . . . and. . . and she couldn't even remember her own name. Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs, she sat up on the edge of the bed. "Where . . . am . . . I?" she said, each word a struggle to get past the haze of pain in her mind. 

"Whoa! And I only just removed the crown!" exclaimed the old man. He handed her a hot drink of some kind- what, she wasn't exactly sure. . . the words wouldn't come, even though the taste was familiar . . . chuck. . . no, chick. . .chicken broth! That was it. Chicken broth. The old man walked to the corner, and picked a device of some kind up off of a table. "This is a slave crown," he said quietly, indicating the device. "They had complete control of you while you were wearing it." Obviously, he disapproved of the existence of the device. 

"Uh. . . I don't remember a thing. . ." she said, and it was the truth. 

"Don't worry", the old man replied, "It'll all come back to you, in time." 

Her head spun, and she stood up, lurching across the floor until she leaned against the doorway. The fog in her mind dissipated slightly, and she began to remember . . . "My name is . . . Aurora. Aurora Branford. I am Aurora Branford." 

"Impressive!" exclaimed the old man. "I've never heard of someone recovering this fast." 

From the outside came a sudden barking then a pounding upon the door. "Open up!" a voice cried. "Open up! This is the military! We want the girl, and the Empire's Magitek Armor!" The old man jumped, and headed toward the door, calling, "Just a minute! I'm in the bathroom- I'll be right there!" He walked over to Aurora, opening a trap door in the floor beneath his bookshelf. "Quickly! Make your way out through the mines. I'll keep these brutes occupied." He handed her a short sword, and a long woolen cloak. "It's the best I can do. Make your way south, to Figaro. The king there will let you stay – tell him Arvis sent you. Go, quickly!" 

Aurora strapped the sword on, and headed down the trap door, listening to it slam shut amid cries from the front, cries of "Give us the girl! She's an officer of the Empire!" 

Puzzled, Aurora thought, _Empire? Magitek Armor? What are those, and why do they sound so familiar? _She quickly headed out, into the mines. 

Looking over the mines of Narshe, one might conclude that they were useless- no gold, no silver, not even much copper. However, Narshe's mines contained something more useful than any of those- Narshe's mines contained Mirthil, the strongest of ordinary metals. Spelled gold, diamond, and crystal were harder- but Mirthil was the only metal that could be formed into Magitek armor. _By launching that attack, the Empire was taking a great risk, _Arvis thought. _The Imperial generals are not idiots, and neither is Emperor Gestahl. Why, then, would they attack their one source of Mirthil, unless . . . _He shook his head. There were no other sources of Mirthil, except in Doma; and even the Empire couldn't breach Doma's defenses. 

More interesting than even the Empire's attack was what he held in his hand - a pair of silver eagles, taken from the shoulders of Aurora's jacket. Things, he was sure, were about to get interesting. _An Imperial colonel – and a mage as well. What was her name again, now . . ._He pulled down his files, and began to search for her picture. He found it not seconds later – Colonel Terra Vectoris, of the Imperal Army. He stared at the page for a few seconds, in shock. _Not even the Emperor is that cruel – to use his own daughter like that!_ Things were getting stranger by the second. There was only one thing he could do, and he knew it. Arvis tied a message to his carrier pigeon, and set it free. He only hoped it could reach Figaro in time – and he hoped King Edgar could make better sense of it than he could. 

As Arvis pondered, Aurora shook her head, baffled. How did she know where to go? Why was she able to fight? She couldn't remember a thing before she woke up – but somehow, she knew how to do all sorts of things- walk, fight, run . . . It was strange. Following the symbols on the mine walls (which she didn't know why she could read), Aurora continued through the mines. Finally, she saw a symbol in the corner she couldn't quite recognize – she couldn't remember what it meant, but it was awfully important . . . Did it mark a new vein of ore – or maybe an exit? As she stood there, the walls began to ring with shouting, as Narshe's guards surrounded her. She began to back up, against the wall- instinctively, she knew she couldn't fight them all if they surrounded her. Her head was level with the marker as she reached the wall- and the floor gave way. _So, that's what it meant_, she thought, and everything went black as she hit the ground. 

* * *

When a slave crown erases memories, they are never truly gone- they merely are unattached. The victim can almost never access them when waking- but when they are asleep, the subconsious mind brings them to the forefront. It is part of the healing process. None of this would be of any consolation to Aurora, as she dreamed in her unconsious state. 

***

Lastday, of Eightmonth, 292 AV

2:41:00 PM

The Imperial Capital of Vector

Her eyes opened, slowly, as she came to. Her mind still felt foggy, as she thought, _Drugged. I've been drugged. Bastards. _She got the shock of her life, when she saw Kefka in front of her. _So . . . the Emperor really does care . . . he's even sent his personal mage to rescue me. Thank . . . Thank the Goddesses . . . _As she became more aware of her surroundings, she realized she had been mistaken. Kefka was not there to rescue her- he was her captor. Opening her dry mouth, she gasped out, "Kefka . . . .Why? Wha . . .What's going on?" Kefka laughed then. She had always liked Kefka's laugh – rich and full of life. Hearing it now, she knew it for what it was- the sound of the grim reaper. She struggled against the manacles holding her to the chair, and screamed, "I am a colonel in the Imperial Army! You can't do this to me! When the emperor finds out, he'll have your head on a pike out front of the palace!" So saying, her voice lowered, and rasped out, "At least, kill me with dignity. I've fought for the Empire faithfully- grant me a clean death." 

"Ah, Colonel . . . My pretty little magic user . . . Death is not what awaits you. With this Slave Crown, I'll practically own you! As for your precious emperor-, this is with his permission. You betrayed me, love. You told Leo what I had planned for Doma – and that good man, that honorable warrior, did not approve. You knew he would stop me from following my plan. Fool that he is, he cannot see that it will save lives – our soldier's lives. I am doing this for the Empire, dear . . . we can't trust someone we can't control. It is almost too bad you will not see what your powers can do. Goodbye, Terra". 

She gasped and held her breath as the crown was lowered onto her head- and the world went black.

* * *

Firstday of Ninthmonth, 292 AV

2:23:55 AM

The Imperial Capital of Vector__

A golden-haired woman in a white cape entered the room, long after Kefka had left, carrying a screwdriver. Moving quickly over to the inert form of the Colonel, she disconnected three wires in the device. The caped woman leaned over, and whispered in Aurora's ear, "Dearest sister . . . I'm afraid I can't save you this time. It's death for me if they find out I did this much. If you ever come out from under there now, at least you'll have some memories left. It's the most I can do." 

She slipped a pendant around Terra's neck, and buckled it, tucking it under her shirt. "This will protect you. I only wish you hadn't given it to me for safekeeping . . . I swear I'll get you out somehow. Good luck, Terra. Good luck from all of us."

Moving quickly, on cat-quiet feet, the golden-haired woman slipped out the door, leaving no sound in the wake of her presence – and no evidence she was ever there. The pendant flashed silently, and began emitting a soft green glow. Inside Terra's mind, something stirred, for a moment, and her thoughts cut clearly through the haze of the Slave Crown. "Goodbye, sister . . . Goodbye, Celes." 

* * *

Fourthday, of Ninthmonth, 292 AV, 12:28:21 AM

General's Personal Log: I can't sleep tonight. I know that I should; I'm going out on a mission tomorrow. However, I can't help thinking of a green-haired girl that trusted me, and I let down. Goddesses . . . I hate the wounds that never seem to mend. There's a scroll on my desk, a signed order from the Emperor. I've been ordered to take the city of Tzen, immediately. I've never questioned orders before. I wonder if I should now. Whenever I try to sleep, however, I see her face in my mind, as if she was standing there before me. She was to me as the daughter I never had. 

When I was just 15, I enlisted in the Imperial Army. I've served Emperor Gestahl faithfully for 31 years, 6 months, and 21 days now. I was told by my Sargent that duty was paramount. When I was promoted to General, not quite 20 years later, my liege told me something I would never forget. He said, "General, to serve me, you must know this. I believe in who and what I am. No cause is worth abandoning your honor. These are the principles I've lived by, and these are the principles I expect you to live by. If you cannot, I cannot trust you to be my General." When he spoke those words, he owned my heart and soul. From that moment on, I wasn't just a soldier, but his soldier. The Cause was my love, and my passion. I lived, breathed, and ate The Cause. 

I knew that the Emperor was the type of man we of Vector needed; and I pledged to protect him, and to keep all harm from him. Further, I later learned, he was better than I had expected, for he had taken in a young girl, an orphan, as I once was, and was raising her as his own daughter, and his heir. 

Looking back, now, I'm not so sure if this is not why the Emperor insisted that no cause was worth abandoning my honor. I know what is happening to Terra – and I do nothing. I could have stopped it; I could have convinced the Emperor it was wrong. It might have cost me my rank, but I should have done something. I can't meet the eyes of my peers anymore. I can't even look into the mirror. I know what others see when they look at me. They see a tall man, standing proud, wearing the rank he has earned in a lifetime fighting for the Empire. When I look in the mirror, all I see is darkness. I can hear Celes knocking at my door now. I imagine she can't sleep any more than I can; she hasn't been able to since they told her Terra passed away. I only wish I could tell her the truth; maybe I should. It would be only just. However, I was ordered not to, and The Cause is my life. 

Once, I said, "There comes a time when every man, and perhaps every god, needs to redefine his honor and his faith." I wish I could still believe that. 

This is General Leo, signing off. Good night, and Godspeed, to all of us. May the Goddess protect us from ourselves.

* * *

_Back in Narshe, the old man Arvis permitted himself a smile. Locke was on his way, and Aurora was on her way to Figaro. Once, he had thought that his cause was hopeless. Now, at last, the Returners had a chance. A slim one, but still a chance. _


	3. Discussion in the Night

Chapter 2: Discussion in the Night

Silently slipping through the night, a figure detached itself from the mine walls, and onto the walk leading to Arvis' home. Glancing around, he saw that there were two guards he could see, and probably another he couldn't. Silently, he laughed to himself. _At least, now they're expecting an attack. We could never convince them to even post a guard before. _Not less than ten minutes later, the guards began to relax, as their replacements arrived. The figure saw his chance, and dashed over the bridge. The guards never noticed him.

The figure opened Arvis' back door, using a key he carried especially for the purpose. Stepping inside, he walked to the dining room, where he encountered Arvis, waiting for him. 

"Took you long enough to get here! So, how goes the robbing and plundering business?" queried Arvis, a glint in his eye. He looked for a moment at the wide-open eyes of the young man, before he laughed. 

The young man laughed as well, and said, between peals of laughter, "That's treasure hunting!" He stopped, and looked around, suddenly becoming more serious. Running a hand through his flaxen hair, and adjusting his blue bandanna, he said, "Seriously, Arvis, what do you need? You're lucky I was in the area – I was going to leave for South Figaro later today." 

Arvis looked directly into the other's blue eyes, and stated, "Locke, I'd like your help getting someone out of Narshe." He wasn't prepared for Locke to sit down, heavily. 

"This had better not have anything to do with the Imperial witch I've been hearing about. If rumor's correct, she's a colonel in the Empire." 

"Rumor's correct, Locke," the old man admitted, pulling a pair of silver eagles from his pocket, and placing them in Locke's hand. "In fact, she is an Imperial colonel." He paused, then continued, "Colonel Terra Vectoris, Gestahl's heir." 

Locke reached for his gloves, and pulled them on, beginning to turn away. "Then, I suppose we've got nothing to talk about, Arvis. I've known you since I was ten. You were even the person who brought me into the Returners - but on this, I have to disagree with you. The colonel should be interrogated. Maybe then, we'll get some information from her- and nothing you can say or do will convince me otherwise."

"Not even this, Locke?" asked Arvis, gently, pulling the slave crown out from a hidden drawer. "Not even knowing that she was not responsible for her actions? Locke, think for a second. If we could somehow enlist her help, we might have a chance. This town is going to be swarmed over by the Empire. So will Figaro, and so will South Figaro. Unless we stand together, we don't stand a chance. Together, we might stand a chance- but we'll need a top-notch tactician. If my records are accurate, Terra was better than anyone but Leo at battlefield tactics. Besides, think of the edge at having the imperial heir on our side." Arvis took a deep breath, and added, "Locke, she can't remember a thing. Slave crowns remove the memories of their victims. You were the one who retrieved that information. She needs our help. Please, Locke – for me." 

Locke stood there, silently, not looking at the old man, or at what he held in his hands. Finally, he set the crown down on the table, and turned around, zipping up his jacket. "All right then . . . I suppose we've no choice but to help her. What now, oh great leader?"

Arvis pulled a map from his cupboard, silently breathing a prayer of thanks. "All right, then. Continue out the mines, and head to Figaro. Call her Aurora – that's the name she remembered when she woke up." 

Locke nodded, and stood from the table. "Well, old friend, you owe me one. I'll be back- eventually." He grinned, and left, the impression of the jovial thief lingering in the room behind him. 

Arvis walked to the door, and closed it. "Safe journey, old friend – and may the Goddesses go with you." 

* * *

Locke tracked Aurora's path through the mines, quite easily. It really wasn't that hard – a footprint here, a drop of blood there. Moving quickly, he came upon a break in the floor, where he surmised she had fallen through. _Goddess . . . don't let her die, not now! That would be the ultimate irony- her dead, and us with no gain at all! _He looped his rope around a rock, and lowered himself into the hole, landing on his feet beside her. He dislodged the rope with a sharp movement, coiling it up while he examined her. She really didn't seem old enough to be a colonel – she couldn't be a day over nineteen. He did have to admit, though, he was attracted. She was the first woman to catch his attention since . . . since Rachel, wasn't it? 

A shout shocked him out of his sudden reverie, and he looked up to see people in front of him- heavily armed people. "Absolutely bloody wonderful . . . there's a whole bunch of em." he muttered, and pulled his dirk out of it's sheath. 

"What do you want?" he called to the men, though Locke figured he knew. 

"Just give us the girl, and you won't be harmed, Locke! We owe you one, so we'll let you go- but you need to give us the girl! No matter what Arvis told you, she's an Imperial spy, and we need to interrogate her!" the leader cried. 

Locke grinned at seeing who led the guards. He'd harbored a grudge against the local marshal since a run-in with him back a long while ago, back when he was merely a kid. If anyone else had been leading the guards, there was a chance he might have taken the easy way out. Now – well, to help Arvis and embarrass the Marshal at the same time; it seemed almost too good to be true. "No such luck, Jack," Locke called, casually flipping the dirk in his right hand. "If you want her, come and get her." 

**Author's Notes:** Well, it's a short chapter – but I so wanted to get something posted tonight, and I simply couldn't stay awake any longer . . . 

Ok, I've no idea whether I'll pair Aurora off with Locke or not. Despite what I might say about canon, Locke and Celes really do make a good pair, IMHO. Still, Locke and Aurora make almost as good of a pair . . . Decisions, decisions. . . I'm also wondering whether to include the Moogles in here. After all, it is kind of hard to describe white balls of fur throwing boomerangs, etc . . . =) 

You know, some reviews might help sway my mind one way or the other. 

Yes, I know this is merely a shameless ploy to get reviews. Anyone want to comment on whether it worked or not? ;-)

This is Anthonius, signing off, here at 2:41 AM on April 8, 2001


End file.
